There are fears that a plan to allow regulated recreational shooting on Western Australia's Bibbulmun Track will hurt visitor numbers and diminish its public appeal.

The 1,000km Perth-to-Albany walking trail is the state's best-known track and is currently only open to walkers.

The Bibbulmun Track Foundation (BTF), which assists the State Government in its management and promotion, has made a submission to an inquiry considering legalising hunting in public reserves.

State Parliament's Public Affairs Committee is holding an inquiry into an idea, first floated by Shooters and Fishers MP Rick Mazza, to allow regulated hunting in state forests and other public reserves.

Part of Mr Mazza's justification for the proposal, which is based in part on similar systems already implemented in New South Wales and Victoria, is that it would help to control pest issues plaguing rural areas.

But with a committee report still nearly nine months away, Western Australia's proposal has already caused a strong backlash - with safety fears among the most pressing concerns.

The BTF is one of a number of organisations to put public submissions into the inquiry so far, warning it doubted the proposal would make any environmental contribution and would have an adverse effect on the use of public lands.

Foundation chairman Mike Wood says his fears are significant.

"There's been numerous instances of this happening over in America and areas where the trail authorities have tried to warn shooters that there could be a trail nearby and then of course walkers having to be aware that there could be shooters in the area," Mr Wood said.

"There have been fatalities in [America] and we don't want to see that happen here."

Safety fears downplayed by recreational shooting association

Sporting Shooters Association of Australia state president Ron Bryant insists there are no realistic safety concerns.

"The system in New South Wales has been operating for in the range of 10 years and there hasn't been any issues," Mr Bryant said.

"They put up signs at the end of the road, the shooters wear orange and it's heavily controlled, these guys are trained, there's a trip report at the end of it ... there's virtually never been a problem in Victoria either."

However the foundation's concerns go beyond safety, with fears it will scare people off using the track and other similar outdoor recreation facilities around the state.

"People get onto websites like Trip Advisor and even social media like Facebook and they'll say: 'I was out on the track and a ute rocked up with two scary-looking blokes in it, three pig dogs, six guns and an esky of bourbon and it was a bit intimidating', and we want to see that that doesn't happen."

Mike Wood, Bibbulmun Track Foundation chairman

"These days people get onto websites like Trip Advisor and even social media like Facebook and they'll say 'I was out on the track and a ute rocked up with two scary-looking blokes in it, three pig dogs, six guns and an esky of bourbon and it was a bit intimidating' and we want to see that that doesn't happen," Mr Wood said.

"That happens now illegally and we don't think it's appropriate that the Government sanction that sort of behaviour."

But the pro-hunting lobby argues the plan would help, rather than hinder, regional tourism.

"From a direct study someone has done on our behalf, we know that a hunter will spend directly in the range of $1,800 per year and indirectly spend over $2,000 per year back into those communities," Mr Bryant said.

"That's fuel, that's food, stopping at the local restaurant for a bit of dinner. This is income into these regional areas, you'd almost say it's a tourism initiative at the end of the day."

Recreational shooters stress need for feral pest control

Mr Bryant's main argument is that the state needs a form of regulated legalised hunting to help in its numerous pest problems, including wild dogs, pigs, kangaroos, rabbits and foxes.

"This is an environmental issue, more than anything. Areas are being overrun by feral pigs and rabbits and such. The amount of damage that's done by these feral animals is incredible," he said.

"One of the famous ones I know of is the Government had to overtake a pastoral land out the back of Geraldton and it's overrun with goats, completely destroying the environment for not only the fauna but also the flora.